Chapter-7 So…What's Wrong With This Picture?

"Scier…" Cole whispered in fear and terror. He had never imagined he would come face to face with such a powerful demon.

"Oh my God. Cole, that's…" Phoebe trailed off, not able to finish her sentence, even her voice barely audible. She hadn't quite expected to meet Scier once she got out of the rip between the two realities.

"I found out some things about you, Guardian. You were once the mighty Belthazor?" Scier stated, disgusted. He gagged at the thought that a demon would turn to good, and become the guardian. He gave a terse laugh that sent shivers down Phoebe and Cole's spines.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to go mess up your lives in other realities. I've just finished this one, so, have fun." Scier said with great pleasure, as he saw the effect his words were having on the two.

"Oh, and I'll see you two later, bye." Scier said, then turning, and casually waving a hand, creating a rip and he calmly walked into it and disappeared.

Phoebe let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Cole was staring at the space where Scier had been standing.

"Co…Cole? Are…are you all right?" Phoebe asked shakily. She didn't think that Scier would have this much effect on her. 'Damn, where's that cool, calm, and level-headed Phoebe when I need her?' Phoebe cursed in her mind.

Cole still hadn't answered her, but merely stood there, seemingly still in shock.

"Cole, you've got to snap out of it, we got to go." Phoebe said, her tension sneaking into her voice. She knew they had to stop Scier, no matter what he did to her.

"You…you're right. Le-let's go." Cole stuttered. He took her hand, and suddenly realized he didn't know where to go.

"Um…Phoe-Phoebe? Where are we going?" Cole asked sheepishly, still stuttering a little.

"If we want to know if there are any major changes, we should go to the manor." Phoebe said, regaining her strength a little. Cole nodded, and blurred her to the manor.

When they got to the manor, it seemed normal. A little too normal for Phoebe's taste. She took a look around and came back to Cole where he was waiting.

"There doesn't seem to be anything out of the normal here. There isn't anyone here either, which is strange because Piper should be home because of her pregnancy." Phoebe said, wondering why Piper wasn't at home.

"Oh, well, she might not even be pregnant yet in this reality." Cole said, more to himself than for Phoebe's sake. When he saw the questioning look on Phoebe's face, he proceeded to explain.

"Well Kara gave me a specific point of time, and I think is the past. She might not even be pregnant, so…"

"Oh…" Phoebe said.

"Cole! Are you here?! We gotta tal…what the hell?!" Piper said, evidently calling for Cole, but she stopped short when she saw Phoebe.

"Hey, Piper, is something wrong?" Cole asked, glancing at Phoebe to play along. She nodded so slightly you would barely recognize it as a nod.

"Yeah, something definitely wrong. What is she doing here?" Piper asked, her voice laced with anger, as she pointed at Phoebe.

"What do you mean? Shouldn't I be here?" Phoebe asked, a little confused.

"Last time we checked, the Source of All Evil didn't usually come strolling in to the manor of the Charmed Ones." Piper responded sarcastically.

"WHAT?!" Cole and Phoebe exclaimed.

"Hey, Piper, I heard you calling. Sorry it took me so lo…" another Cole said, as he trailed off when he saw Phoebe.

"Okay, now I'm confused. Worse, this is starting to get a little too freaky for me." Phoebe said, sitting down and rubbing her temples.

"Hmm. Well this is an interesting twist." Cole muttered.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, it seems here, that you're the Source of All Evil, and I, apparently, am working with you and your sisters." Cole explained to Phoebe what he'd so far concluded.

The AR (Alternate Reality) Piper was looking back from the AR Cole, to the other Cole.

"Okay, could someone please tell me what's going on!" Piper demanded.

Cole grumbled and sat down next to Phoebe, a very large migraine coming over him.

"Cole, could you go and get Leo? I think maybe he could help here." AR Piper said to AR Cole. He simply nodded and orbed out.

Phoebe and Cole had been watching them, and their mouths hung open from shock, and disbelief.

"Did I…"

"Did you…" Cole began.

"Did Cole just orb?!" both exclaimed, letting it out.

"Of course he did Phoebe, you know that all ready." Piper sneered at her. Ever since Phoebe had become the Source, she had always been trying to get Cole back, since he came back from the dead.

"No, I didn't. And, FYI, I'm not who you think you are." Phoebe said, still annoyed at what she and Cole now had to do.

Suddenly, two sets of blue orbs appeared, and AR Cole and Leo appeared.

"Piper what's going on…what is she doing here?" Leo asked angrily, indicating Phoebe.

"I don't know, I thought you would." Piper replied, eyeing Phoebe and Cole suspiciously.

"God, I wish Kara had come with us, then maybe she could clear up a few things." Cole said, getting a little more agitated.

"Cole, you need to kill Phoebe. It took me a while to convince the Elders that they could trust you, don't make me look like I lied to them." Leo said to AR Cole.

"But, something's not right, this Phoebe doesn't seem evil at all. And who's he?" Cole said, noticing Cole.

"Oh, for God's sakes! I'm you! I just want to get out of this confusing reality. Phoebe, we can all ready see what's wrong with this one. You're the Source, and it seems I'm a Whitelighter." Cole said to Phoebe, a little disgusted.

"Okay, but how do we fix it? We can't go back in time from here, so…" Phoebe said, not knowing what to say.

"You've got a point though, I have no idea. Maybe I can get into contact with Kara from here. Didn't she say that where she existed, it was looped through all of the realities?" Cole questioned Phoebe, an idea coming to mind.

"Yeah, I think she did, why?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, maybe this Cole can get in contact with her, and she can sort of help us out here." Cole suggested.

"Hey, hold on! We don't even trust you, especially not you," Piper said, indicating Phoebe, "so why should Cole go up 'there' for you?" Piper exclaimed, tempering her rage.

"Well, let's just say the universe is in trouble, and this particular reality is thoroughly screwed up." Phoebe said calmly.

"Cole, I think we should just go check on their story, and see if there is a Kara up there." Leo said, tugging on AR Cole's arm.

"Uh-huh." AR Cole said, stealing one more glance at Phoebe before he orbed with Leo.

"So, what are we supposed to do with you?" Piper asked, looking at Phoebe and Cole suspiciously.

"Well, I guess we wait for your Leo and Cole to get back." Cole stated matter-of-factly. He relaxed on the couch, and closed his eyes.

"Cole? How are you able to relax at a time like this?" Phoebe asked exasperated.

"Well, I want to save my strength for Scier, so I suggest you relax when you can also." Cole answered. He then closed his eyes again, and promptly fell asleep.

Piper observed them squabble, and she was reminded of how they used to be before the whole Source ordeal. 'Maybe they are telling the truth. No matter how far-fetched it sounds' AR Piper thought.

"So…who are you exactly?" Piper asked them, approaching them cautiously.

"Cole, do you think that we should tell her?" Phoebe asked, looking to him, lightly jabbing him in the ribs to wake him.

"Huh? What? Oh, sure, whatever." Cole groggily said, then falling back to sleep. It seems that opening the rip took a lot more out of him than he thought. Phoebe let out an exasperated sigh, and just though, 'why the hell not?'

"Piper, I'm your sister, just not from this reality, and Cole and I are here to fix this reality. Following me?" Phoebe said bluntly, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

AR Piper stared at Phoebe, who wasn't her Phoebe.

"Ugh…now I have a headache." Piper grumbled. This got a chuckle from Phoebe.

"Join the club." Phoebe muttered, glancing over at Cole.

AR Cole and Leo then orbed in, and Phoebe gently woke him up as AR Cole and Leo approached them.

"Huh? Oh, they're back." Cole said, uninterested. "Wait, is Kara with you?" Cole asked suddenly, remembering what he had said.

"Well, no. We couldn't bring her, because she's not allowed to cross over to other realities. We were told though to trust you, and the order came from very high up." AR Leo answered. Cole snorted, as though expecting that response.

"What?" Phoebe asked Cole.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking that Kara's 'friends' up 'there' had something to do with it." Cole responded.

"Something just occurred to me, how long do you think we can stay here?" Phoebe asked, alarmed.

"Huh, I don't know. Oh well. We should just finish this as soon as we can, because I don't want to take the risk. Do you?" Cole answered.
Phoebe simply shakes her head in response, and goes back to thinking.

"What can we do to help?" AR Piper asked, listening in on what they were saying.